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A cry goes up from the top deck – “land ahoy”. The shout comes not from a pirate peering into the distance but from a member of the
Walk-A-Mile club. As Cairns comes into sight, the early-morning walkers have
the best view and they’re soon sharing it with the rest of the ship.
We’re in Australia’s tropical North Queensland and have quickly grown used to being surrounded by nothing but the big blue, but that’s about to change. The next week of our 11-night exploration of Australia’s eastern coast will be filled with sightings of islands and inlets in the Great Barrier Reef as we head south to Airlie Beach and Brisbane.
The cruise, which departed from Sydney, made its first stop in Newcastle, where I sought out eclectic shops in the Renew Newcastle program before heading to Queensland. An overnight stay in a port city is even more unusual but it’s something I intend to make the most of here in Cairns. Cruising Australia’s eastern coast is a nice change to the
ship’s usual South Pacific routes.
The Rhapsody of the Seas makes its way slowly towards Queensland’s tropical city and we watch the water turn milky as the muddy mangroves get closer. It’s the only bit of brown in sight; national parks rim the coastal city and everywhere else is green and golden.
The first people to disembark are those on guided tours. Busloads make their way into the rainforest where they board World War II Army Ducks and splash around searching for crocodiles and goannas or are given insights into Aboriginal culture by indigenous dancers at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park.
I walk to the train station and board the Kuranda Scenic Railway train. The old-school benches are sticky in the heat but as we climb into the hills, the wind picks up and the view across the city out to sea is breathtaking. We hear the story of the track’s backbreaking construction, when in 1886 the need for supply routes for the gold fields forced 1500 men to cut through the rock with shovels and dynamite. The track runs through 15 tunnels and over 55 bridges, the most spectacular straight under the spray of a thundering waterfall. A short stop above Barron Gorge is a chance to stretch your legs and strain your neck because the view is breathtaking.
KURANDA AND CAIRNS
Kuranda Station is a charming stop that doesn’t seem to have changed much since the railway opened and is only a five-minute walk from Kuranda’s main street. Bypassing the Butterfly Sanctuary and Birdworld, I make a beeline for the markets where Kuranda’s well known, wholesome hippies sell fresh fruit ice-cream, beaded kaftans and sustainable souvenirs.
What goes up must come down, and I board the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway for a breathtaking journey down the mountains across the World Heritage Listed tropical rainforest. The 7.5km cableway is the only way to see the rainforest as it’s illegal to set foot under its mighty canopies. I stop off at Red Peak Station, where boardwalks wind through a small section of the forest.
Back in Cairns, people are doing their own thing. Many Americans have travelled all this way to see the Great Barrier Reef and organise boat trips out to Green Island; others rent cars and drive an hour north to Port Douglas. One couple can’t wait to go deep-sea fishing and have booked a private charter boat. But there are others who won’t get off the boat and are too busy enjoying the numerous onboard activities.
There are dance classes, bridge lessons, napkin-folding classes, cooking demonstrations, table tennis tournaments, shuffleboard, trivia and bingo. You can supplement those activities with time in the casino, Broadway Melodies theatre, gym, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, four hot tubs or day spa – or try conquering the 30-foot rock-climbing wall.
In preparation for my snorkelling trip at Airlie Beach, I attend an Explorer Academy lecture on the Great Barrier Reef given by the local pilot who’s on board to make sure we make our way to the UNESCO World Heritage Site without a hiccup.
The ship puts the anchor down just off Airlie Beach and tenders ferry us ashore. A shuttle runs people into town but the stroll along the foreshore is a nicer way to arrive at the cluster of shops, cafes and bars. Stinger season rules out swimming on the beach so the man-made lagoon is the popular spot.
Airlie Beach is the base for operators running reef trips. Some bad weather makes my excursion to Hardy Reef rather bumpy, and snorkelling a contest of wills with the current. But the fish don’t seem to mind and neither do I. We see giant clams, huge gropers and plenty of coral.
CULTURAL CAPITAL
Back on board, the ship’s stabilisers are on and we head south, spending another day at sea before stopping in Brisbane. Australia Zoo is the hot trip here but I’ve been there so, like many of the other domestic tourists on board, I spend the day visiting the Southbank precinct, which has just reopened after the floods. Walkways were swept away and buildings condemned when the Brisbane River burst its banks at the beginning of the year.
The water has receded and the popular tourist markets are drawing back visitors. I savour the chance to help out the survivors with my hard-earned tourist dollars. Next door is the Gallery of Modern Art, where children zoom down giant slides in the foyer and birds fly around on the upper levels for a marvellous modern art exhibition.
Away from the river, Brisbane’s art scene has tucked into Fortitude Valley. Brunswick Street is a base for contemporary artists showcased in small galleries such as Artisan, where I find baby bonnets carved from camphor laurel wood by Chris Mills-Kelly and mini axes made from modelling clay by Sophie Bottomley. Across the road at the Institute of Modern Art in the Judith Wright Centre, paintings, sculptures, films and projections are given pride of place.
RHAPSODY IN BLUE
The Rhapsody of the Seas docks at the mouth of the Brisbane River and a sunset sail away is a spectacular sight. The rest of our trip towards Sydney is a last chance to find your sea legs.
Getting your bearings isn’t just about negotiating the swaying deck and finding your favourite spots. In good weather lucky guests staying in suites lounge on their balconies or in spacious living rooms, but I’m happy with the big bay window in my Ocean View State Room, where a queen bed, ensuite, TV and air conditioning is everything I need.
At 78,491 tonnes, with a maximum capacity of 2435 passengers, the Rhapsody has space for everyone but is by no means the biggest fish in the sea. (Royal Caribbean’s Allure of the Seas takes that title, at a whopping 220,000 tonnes and holding 6360 passengers.)
The only time I encounter a queue is at the omelette station in the Windjammer Cafe. With two chefs churning out omelettes, the line doesn’t last long. It takes longer to navigate the generous circular buffet. For lunch there’s even more choice – from roasts, stir-fries, pasta and pizza to quiche, salads and curries.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner are also served in Edelweiss restaurant, which seats 1200 people and pumps out 10,000 meals a day. This is the place for a more sedate start to the day. There’s a breakfast granola bar (with four different kinds of muesli) and a sumptuous salad bar (chefs pile your plate with antipasti, seafood and greens) along with full à la carte menus.
Dinner is the ship’s true chance to shine at fine dining. If you’re flying solo, it’s potluck for your dinner partners in the Edelweiss room, who can make the experience. On this cruise the age demographic is split 50-50 – half are under 60, half are over.
Even if you don’t click with the people you’re placed with, the waiters work hard to lighten the mood. They come from 54 countries and work better than the United Nations. It’s certainly a slick operation. Our waiter, Steven, from Indonesia, never lets water glasses empty and performs a different magic trick
each night.
As we make our way back into Sydney Harbour, I’m sad to say goodbye to the constant pampering, 24-hour kitchens and twice-daily turn down services but happy to have had the chance to explore almost the entire length of Queensland’s coast without once having to deal with traffic or tickets.
TRAVEL INFORMATION
Cairns
Kuranda Scenic Railway
+61 7 4036 9333
ksr.com.au
Skyrail Rainforest Cableway
+61 7 4038 1555
skyrail.com.au
Brisbane
Gallery of Modern Art
Stanley Place, South Bank, Brisbane
+61 7 3840 7303
qag.qld.gov.au
Artisan
381 Brunswick St, Fortitude Valley
+ 61 7 3215 0800
artisan.org.au
Institute of Modern Art in the
Judith Wright Centre
20 Brunswick Street, Fortitude Valley
+ 61 7 3872 9000
judithwrightcentre.com
RHAPSODY OF THE SEAS
Royal Caribbean’s Rhapsody of the Seas is a 2000-passenger super-liner and is currently the newest and largest cruise ship sailing round-trip from Australia. Prices for the 11-night Tropical Queensland cruise start from AU$2235 for an interior stateroom to $3205 for a balcony stateroom to $3925 for a junior suite to $7995 for a royal suite. Prices are per person, twin occupancy. This cruise will be available again on Nov 13 and Dec 6, 2011, and April 2, 2012. For further information, go to royalcaribbean.com.au, check with your travel agent or call 0800 102 103.
